Mower attachment mechanism

ABSTRACT

A mower attachment comprising an attachment housing and a plurality of blade assemblies. The attachment housing includes an upper surface and front and rear baffles extending downwardly from the upper surface, the front and rear baffles shaped to define a plurality of blade chambers therebetween. The plurality of blade assemblies are positioned within the plurality of blade chambers. A leading plate is operatively connected to the housing and extends away from the plurality of blade chambers. The leading plate includes a plurality of apertures on a top side thereof.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuing application filed claimingpriority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/873,322, the entirety of whichis hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to systems for cutting grass.More particularly, the present invention is directed to systems forcutting or mowing grass involving the use of a mower attachmentincluding a plurality of blade assemblies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A wide variety of systems are conventionally known for cutting or mowinggrass. One such system involves the use of a mower attachment includinga plurality of blade assemblies. This removable attachment is connectedto the front of a vehicle, such as a small tractor, which is used topush the attachment during the mowing process. Such a system includes aplurality of blade assemblies spaced apart from each other within ahousing. During the cutting process, air flows underneath the housingwhile the cutting action is in progress. The air flow carries the grassclippings through a discharge chute which is typically located on oneside of the attachment.

Although such mowing systems are widely used, conventional systemsinclude a number of drawbacks. For example, the air flow through theattachment system during the mowing process is quite inefficient in thatthe air flow is inefficiently directed inside the housing resulting insome of the air flow “swirling around” the inside of the housing. Thiscauses some of the grass clippings to not quickly and/or directly flowthrough the discharge chute. In some instances, a substantial percentageof the grass clippings will not flow out the discharge chute at all,instead simply collecting on the ground along the path of the mower.Alternatively, some of the grass clippings may collect on the inside ofthe housing, while others may even blow out through the front of theunit under certain circumstances. All of these actions cause seriousdistribution issues for the user, as the amount of time needed todistribute all of the grass clippings increases substantially due tothis inefficient air flow.

It would therefore be desirable to develop a method for more efficientlydirecting the air flow through a mower attachment, such that grassclippings are efficiently directed out of the discharge chute withminimal misdirection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved systemfor cutting grass, wherein air flow is more efficiently directed throughthe system than in conventional devices.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvedsystem for cutting grass where a reduced number of grass clippings aremisdirected after being cut.

In accordance with the above objects, there is provided a mowerattachment comprising an attachment housing and a plurality of bladeassemblies. The attachment housing includes an upper surface, as well asfront and rear baffles extending downwardly therefrom to define aplurality of blade chambers. The plurality of blade assemblies arepositioned within the plurality of blade chambers and are arranged toeffectively cut or mow grass. A leading plate is operatively connectedto the front of the housing extending away from the plurality of bladechambers. The leading plate includes a plurality of apertures on oneside thereof. The plurality of apertures are arranged such that duringthe cutting process, air flows through the plurality of apertures to aidin the directing of grass clippings through the discharge chute.

The use of this “false front” on the mower attachment enhances the bladesuction while at the same time providing structural integrity and betterair flow, controlling “blow out” of the system. The “false front” alsocreates a vacuum in the blade chambers that is distributed uniformly bythe plurality of holes to lift the grass prior to being cut.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention willbe apparent from the following description of the invention, taken withreference in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tractor in combination with a mowerattachment system constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of a mowing attachmentsystem constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the mowing attachment system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the mower attachment system of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of the mower attachment system of FIG.2, showing the movement of air through the system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A mower attachment unit is shown generally at 10 in FIGS. 1-4. In FIG.1, the mower attachment unit is operatively connected to a tractor 11for use in operating and moving the mower attachment unit 10. The mowerattachment unit 10 comprises an attachment housing 12 including an uppersurface 14, as well as a front baffle 16 and a rear baffle 18. The frontbaffle 16 and the rear baffle 18 can either be formed as one piece withthe upper surface 14 or can be formed as separate components that arecoupled to the upper surface 14 by a plurality of fasteners.Additionally, it is possible for the front baffle 16 and the rear baffle18 to be formed as a single piece. A discharge chute 20 is located onone side of the attachment housing 12. When the mower attachment unit 10is in use, grass clippings that have already been cut are expelledthrough the discharge chute 20.

The front baffle 16 and the rear baffle 18 combine to define a pluralityof blade chambers 22 therebetween. In a preferred embodiment of theinvention, the mower attachment unit 10 includes three blade chambers22. Each blade chamber 22 includes a blade assembly 24 therein, witheach blade assembly 24 comprising a cutting blade 26 that is rotatablymounted on a spindle 28. The spindle 28 is operatively connected to theupper surface 14 of the attachment housing 12. In a preferred embodimentof the invention, each cutting blade 26 extends substantially to theouter edge of each blade chamber 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mower attachment unit 10 also includes aplurality of wheels 30 and at least one roller 32 to aid in thedirectional control and stability of the mower attachment unit 10 whenin use. The mower attachment unit 10 also includes an attachmentmechanism 34 for coupling the mower attachment unit 10 to the tractor 11or other vehicle for use in operating the mower attachment unit 10.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the mower attachment unit 10 also includes aleading plate 36 operatively connected to the front of the front baffle16. The leading plate 36 can either be formed as a single piece with thefront baffle 16 or can be formed as a separate component. The leadingplate 36, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, includes a planarsurface 38 which preferably runs substantially parallel to the groundand substantially perpendicular to the front baffle 16. In a preferredembodiment of the invention, the leading plate 36 is substantially “V”shaped. The leading plate 36 can also include a short longitudinalsurface 40 intersecting the planar surface 38. The mower attachment unit10 may also include a trailing plate 37 operatively connected to therear baffle 18. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the uppersurface 14 extends over and beyond the leading plate 36, coupling to thefront of the leading plate 36 and substantially hiding the leading plate36 from view.

As is clearly shown in FIGS. 2-4, the leading plate 36 includes aplurality of apertures 42 positioned therein to aid in the direction theflow of air into the mower attachment unit 10. It has been observed thatthe presence in the plurality of apertures 42 in the leading plate 36aids in more efficiently directing the flow of air through the mowerattachment unit 10 and out through the discharge chute 20 thanconventional systems.

The plurality of apertures 42, in one preferred embodiment of theinvention, are circular in shape. However, other shapes may also be usedfor the apertures 42. As is shown in FIGS. 2-4 and in a preferredembodiment of the invention, the plurality of apertures 42 do not have auniform size. Instead, some of the apertures 42 have a larger diameterthan others. It has been observed that having apertures 42 of differentsizes can aid in maximizing the efficiency of the air flow into andthrough the mower attachment unit 10. For example, for the mowerattachment unit 10 in FIGS. 2-4, the blade chambers 22 intersect eachother in two locations, which are referred to as joining regions 44. Inthe preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2-4, thoseapertures 42 that are closest to the joining regions 44 have the largestdiameters, while the apertures 42 progressively have smaller diametersthe farther away they are from the respective joining regions 44. Thisparticular embodiment aids in the flow of air through the mowerattachment unit 10 while minimizing blow out.

FIG. 5 shows the flow of air through one blade chamber 22 during thecutting process. As the blade chamber 22 moves forward relative to theground 46, air flows into the blade chamber 22, as a result of thespinning cutting blade 26, air is pushed upward towards the uppersurface 14. Once the grass has been cut, grass clippings are pushedupward and eventually out the discharge chute 20. The leading plate 36and the plurality of apertures 42 aid in directing the flow of air intothe region below the cutting blade 26 increasing the efficiency of theair flow, as well as improving the cut of grass.

While various embodiments have been shown and described herein, theinvention is not limited to these particular embodiments. For example,the planar surface 38 of the leading plate 36 can be at varying heightsabove the ground 46, and the plurality of apertures 42 can be of varyingshape, sizes and arrangements, on the leading plate 36. Additionally,the system of the present invention can either be used as a separateattachment unit, or as part of a single mowing device included with thevehicle 50. It is also possible to include varying numbers of cuttingblades 26, as well as possibly including multiple cutting blades 26 inone blade chamber 22. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is notintended to be limited by the description and drawings herein.

1. A mower unit for cutting material on a surface, comprising: a housingincluding a discharge chute defined therein for discharging material; aplurality of blade assemblies operatively connected to the housing forrotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the ground; afront baffle operatively connected to the underside of an upper surfaceof the housing, the front baffle having a rear face exposed to theplurality of blade assemblies and a front face on an opposite side ofthe front baffle from the rear face; a rear baffle operatively connectedto the underside of the upper surface of the housing, the front baffleand the rear baffle cooperating to define a plurality of blade chamberswithin which the plurality of blade assemblies are positioned; and aleading plate positioned within the housing, displaced below the uppersurface, and operatively connected to the front face of the front baffleand extending away from the plurality of blade chambers, the leadingplate including a plurality of apertures on a top side thereof.
 2. Themower unit of claim 1, further comprising a rear plate operativelyconnected to the rear baffle.
 3. The mower unit of claim 1, wherein theplurality of blade chambers comprise three blade chambers, and whereinthe plurality of blade assemblies comprise three blade assemblies. 4.The mower unit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bladeassemblies comprises: a spindle assembly coupled to the housing; and acutting blade rotatably connected to the spindle assembly, each cuttingblade extending substantially to the edge of its respective bladechamber.
 5. The mower unit of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofapertures are circular in shape.
 6. The mower unit of claim 5, whereinthe plurality of apertures have varying diameters to optimize air flowtowards the discharge chute.
 7. The mower unit of claim 1, wherein theplurality of blade chambers define joining regions in areas where atleast one of the plurality of blade chambers intersects with another ofthe plurality of blade chambers.
 8. The mower unit of claim 7, whereinthose apertures that are closer to the joining regions are larger thanthose apertures that are away from the joining regions.
 9. A mowerattachment, comprising: an attachment housing including an upper surfaceand front and rear baffles extending downwardly from the upper surface,the front and rear baffles shaped to define a plurality of bladechambers therebetween; a plurality of blade assemblies positioned withinthe plurality of blade chambers, each of the plurality of bladeassemblies including a spindle assembly coupled to the upper surface anda cutting blade rotatably connected to the spindle assembly; and aleading plate operatively connected to the front baffle and extendingaway from the plurality of blade chambers, the leading plate positionedbelow the upper surface of the housing, within the interior of thehousing, and including a plurality of apertures on a top side thereof.10. The mower attachment of claim 9, wherein the attachment housingincludes a discharge chute defined therein.
 11. The mower attachment ofclaim 10, wherein the plurality of blade assemblies comprises threeblade assemblies arranged substantially in a “V” shape.
 12. The mowerattachment of claim 11, wherein the leading plate is substantially “V”shaped.
 13. The mower attachment of claim 10, wherein the plurality ofapertures are substantially circular in shape and have varying diametersto optimize air flow towards the discharge chute.
 14. The mowerattachment of claim 9, wherein the plurality of blade chambers definejoining regions in areas where at least one of the plurality of bladechambers intersects with another of the plurality of blade chambers. 15.The mower attachment of claim 14, wherein those apertures that arecloser to the joining regions are larger than those apertures that areaway from the joining regions.
 16. A mower system, comprising: avehicle; and a mower attachment coupled to the vehicle, the mowerattachment comprising: an attachment housing including an upper surface,front and rear baffles extending downwardly from the upper surface, thefront and rear baffles shaped to define a plurality of blade chamberstherebetween, and a discharge chute for dispelling cut material from theattachment housing; a plurality of blade assemblies positioned withinthe plurality of blade chambers, each of the plurality of bladeassemblies including a spindle assembly coupled to the upper surface anda cutting blade rotatably connected to the spindle assembly; and aleading plate operatively connected to the front baffle and extendingaway from the plurality of blade chambers, the leading plate positionedbelow the upper surface of the housing, within the interior of thehousing, and including a plurality of apertures therein.
 17. The mowersystem of claim 16, wherein the mower attachment is removably coupled tothe vehicle.
 18. The mower system of claim 16, wherein the leading plateis substantially “V” shaped.
 19. The mower system of claim 16, whereinthe plurality of apertures are substantially circular in shape and havevarying diameters to optimize air flow towards the discharge chute. 20.The mower system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of blade chambersdefine joining regions in areas where at least one of the plurality ofblade chambers intersects with another of the plurality of bladechambers, and wherein those apertures that are closer to the joiningregions are larger than those apertures that are away from the joiningregions.
 21. A mower system, comprising: a vehicle; and a mowerattachment coupled to the vehicle, the mower attachment comprising: ahousing including a discharge chute defined therein for dischargingmaterial; a plurality of blade assemblies operatively connected to thehousing for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to theground; a front baffle operatively connected to the underside of anupper surface of the housing, the front baffle having a rear faceexposed to the plurality of blade assemblies and a front face on anopposite side of the front baffle from the rear face; a rear baffleoperatively connected to the underside of the upper surface of thehousing, the front baffle and the rear baffle cooperating to define aplurality of blade chambers within which the plurality of bladeassemblies are positioned; and a leading plate positioned within thehousing, displaced below the upper surface, and operatively connected tothe front face of the front baffle and extending away from the pluralityof blade chambers, the leading plate including a plurality of apertureson a top side thereof.
 22. A mower unit for cutting material on asurface, comprising: a housing including a discharge chute definedtherein for discharging material; a plurality of blade assembliesoperatively connected to the housing for rotation about an axissubstantially perpendicular to the ground; a front baffle operativelyconnected to the underside of the housing, the front baffle having arear face exposed to the plurality of blade assemblies and a front faceon an opposite side of the front baffle from the rear face; a rearbaffle operatively connected to the underside of the housing, the frontbaffle and the rear baffle cooperating to define a plurality of bladechambers within which the plurality of blade assemblies are positioned;and a leading plate operatively connected to the front face of the frontbaffle and extending away from the plurality of blade chambers, theleading plate including a plurality of apertures on a top side thereof,wherein the plurality of apertures are of varying size to optimize airflow towards the discharge chute.
 23. The mower unit of claim 22,wherein the plurality of blade chambers define joining regions in areaswhere at least one of the plurality of blade chambers intersects withanother of the plurality of blade chambers.
 24. The mower unit of claim23, wherein those apertures that are closer to the joining regions arelarger than those apertures that are away from the joining regions. 25.A mower attachment, comprising: an attachment housing including an uppersurface and front and rear baffles extending downwardly from the uppersurface, the front and rear baffles shaped to define a plurality ofblade chambers therebetween; a plurality of blade assemblies positionedwithin the plurality of blade chambers, each of the plurality of bladeassemblies including a spindle assembly coupled to the upper surface anda cutting blade rotatably connected to the spindle assembly; and aleading plate operatively connected to the front baffle and extendingaway from the plurality of blade chambers, the leading plate positionedlower than the upper surface of the housing and including a plurality ofapertures on a top side thereof, wherein the plurality of apertures areof varying size to optimize air flow towards the discharge chute. 26.The mower attachment of claim 25, wherein the plurality of bladechambers define joining regions in areas where at least one of theplurality of blade chambers intersects with another of the plurality ofblade chambers.
 27. The mower attachment of claim 26, wherein thoseapertures that are closer to the joining regions are larger than thoseapertures that are away from the joining regions.
 28. A mower system,comprising: a vehicle; and a mower attachment coupled to the vehicle,the mower attachment comprising: an attachment housing including anupper surface, front and rear baffles extending downwardly from theupper surface, the front and rear baffles shaped to define a pluralityof blade chambers therebetween, and a discharge chute for dispelling cutmaterial from the attachment housing; a plurality of blade assembliespositioned within the plurality of blade chambers, each of the pluralityof blade assemblies including a spindle assembly coupled to the uppersurface and a cutting blade rotatably connected to the spindle assembly;and a leading plate operatively connected to the front baffle andextending away from the plurality of blade chambers, the leading platepositioned lower than the upper surface of the housing and including aplurality of apertures therein, wherein the plurality of apertures areof varying size to optimize air flow towards the discharge chute. 29.The mower system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of blade chambersdefine joining regions in areas where at least one of the plurality ofblade chambers intersects with another of the plurality of bladechambers, and wherein those apertures that are closer to the joiningregions are larger than those apertures that are away from the joiningregions.